This Saturday’s feature Eclipse (2.10pm) at Sandown is one of the flat season’s mid-summer highlights, but not even one of the sport’s jewels in the crown can compete with another certain event due off at 3pm so the early start is a brilliant initiative.

The front four in the market all represent the classic generation, but older horses recently have the upper hand in this contest with seven of the last 10 winners being four or older and arguably the three-year-olds that have prevailed during this time have been exceptional with the likes of Sea The Stars and Golden Horn.

So, while they could yet be superstars, favourite Masar and 2,000 Guineas hero Saxon Warrior have it all to do and preference goes to Northern raider Forest Ranger (16/1) who is entrusted with protecting this season’s unbeaten record as he bids to emulate Harry Kane’s recent hat-trick against Panama.

Sure ‘the Ranger’ hasn’t yet poached a top-class race, but double figure odds look generous as this is only his second attempt at a Group 1 event and his recent victory at one rung down the ladder at Chester prove he’s certainly improved since his fifth in last year’s St James’s Palace Stakes.

Another bonus for this weekend’s supporters are that while Masar and Saxon Warrior have been fighting it out in very tough Derbies on both sides of the Irish Sea, the selection has had the longest break of all eight combatants and goes into the race the freshest horse.

Musley Bank magician Richard Fahey, who trains Forest Ranger, nominated this race as the target immediately after his Roodee success and multiple top-class victories on his CV mean that he’s not travelling down to the Esher slopes just for a jug of Pimms.

Another horse hoping to do a ‘Kane’ is Precious Ramotswe (5/1) in Saturday’s Lancashire Oaks (1.10pm) at Haydock and she is trained by no better man than Suffolk sorcerer John Gosden who has landed this prestigious contest four times in the last decade including with The Black Princess last year.

This Nathaniel filly is four from five now, and must have been some certainty when justifying favouritism in a Newbury handicap last October off a mark of just 81 considering she is now rated 100.

Her last win was over two furlongs further than this 1m 4f, but that isn’t a concern as she scored over 10 furlongs on her penultimate start so she has plenty of speed and fast ground shouldn’t be an issue as both her parents had form on it.

Horses with a low draw in 5f sprints at Sandown are considered to have quite an advantage so Haddaf (13/2) did well to overcome stall seven last time and can follow up over course and distance in the opening Charge ( 12.20pm ) from a better-looking trap three.

This fellow wouldn’t quite be in the same league as older rival Muthmir (3/1) yet, but he’s progressing very nicely and looks capable of giving the ‘jolly’ a huge run for his money.